Mini-Review: Gaspereau Vineyards Maple Wine: A Change Of Pace....

Not the right
 bottle pic but close

We are doing a mini-review of the Gaspereau Vineyards Maple wine which we had in our zabaglione tonight and as a companion to that dessert.

This is a fermented version of Maple Syrup in the Ice Wine style that they sell as a meal finisher and it is quite nice.  We are not really Ice Wine devotees per se, though we will never turn down a glass should it presented to us at the end of a meal.  We find the sweetness a bit too rich at times though there is an awesome flavour profile with most Ice Wines we have tasted that goes well beyond sugar.

That said, the Maple Wine is really built around what makes Maple Syrup great....a thick sweet aromatic flavour that is unmistakably Maple.  The kicker with this wine is the alcohol that slides in behind the Maple syrup features.  So, it is almost like:

"Hey, are we having Pancakes for dessert....wait a minute.....no we aren't!"

The alcohol adds an edge to the drink-ability of the wine.  This is a product to be taken in small doses.  It comes in a 200ml bottle and that is plenty to last for more than one meal (depending on how many friends you have sharing it).  If it is just two people it will last a while.  An ounce or two is plenty as a dessert and coffee accompaniment.  The sugar content alone will keep you up past midnight.

The wine is all golden in the glass like an Ice Wine.  The smell is pure Maple Syrup with a shot of booze dropped in there to wake up the senses.  The palate starts and end with a sweet layer but there is a bit of caramel or burnt sugar that the alcohol adds in.  Very interesting.

As a "wine" we are not sure how to judge this.  It is not grapes for one and two it is so far beyond what we would call "Late Harvest" or "Ice Wine" it is tough to put a number on it.  However, in moderation, we do like it and it is definitely made with quality in mind.  It's like the Maple candies you can get at some markets, where one is great, two is filling, but you would never eat a bag of them.  The same applies here, at some point you will want to put the bag away.

If we were to put a rating on it (which we hesitate to do), it would be in the 17 - 18 out of 20 range.  It is very nice but it is very specific on when and where we would drink it.

Keep on tasting!

Chris & Shannon

PS - What are your opinions on dessert wines?  From Sauternes to  Vin Santo what do you drink and what do you like?  Let us know.